Backsberg Food & Wine Challenge

WineTourismZA was invited to participate in the Backsberg Food & Wine Challenge.

Scroll down to see #MyBacksbergRecipe entry

A Backsberg goody box, which included two bottles of the recently launched maiden vintage *Backsberg Pinotage Rosé as well as a 'secret ingredient’ was delivered to me. Backsberg also included something sweet (Sally Williams Nougat) for the participants to enjoy while brainstorming about a recipe.

The challenge is to come up with a perfect food and wine combination that will work well and a recipe that will complement the Pinotage Rosé. There are no rules except for the 'secret ingredient' (included in the goody box) that must be used in the recipe.

On Monday evening, 27 November there will be a live Tweet-up between 20h00 and 21h00. Participants must have the following images ready to share on Twitter:

One photo showing your dish and the Backsberg Pinotage Rosé

One photo of you and your friends enjoying the Pinotage Rosé

The winner will be announced at 21h15 on the same evening by Backsberg.

Furthermore, WineTourismZA has received a unique code offering me and my followers a 10% discount on the Backsberg Pinotage Rosé for the duration of December 2017 when purchased online via the Backsberg website. The cellar door price is R53 a bottle, so by using the 10% discount a case of 6 Pinotage Rosé costs a mere R286!

The unique code is MyBacksbergRecipe14.

Follow #MyBacksbergRecipe on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the Backsberg Food & Wine Challenge and to share in the excitement.
For more information about Backsberg visit www.backsberg.co.za or follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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WineTourismZA's entry into the above competition: #MyBacksbergRecipe

Smoked Chicken & Pear Salad with Roasted Nuts and Orange Dressing

Ingredients 2 Smoked Chicken breasts 1 Large Ripe Pear, sliced (or) 410g Can Pear Quarters, drained 100g Mixed Nuts ¼ cup dried cranberries (Secret Ingredient) 80g Pack Mixed salad greens 2 Wheels Feta Cheese, cut into cubes	Dressing 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons sugar ½ teaspoon grated orange peel 1/8 teaspoon salt Dash pepper
Directions Heat the chicken breasts as per the instructions on the packet. Let it cool, then slice breasts diagonally. Roast the nuts over medium heat in a non-stick frying pan for 3-4 minutes. Arrange the greens, pear, chicken, feta cheese, onto plates. Sprinkle with the nuts and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients; drizzle over salads. Serve: Four people as a starter or two as mains.
Optional: (If you like a bit off tangy sweetness. This goes very well with the Pinotage Rosé) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add tsp canola oil and a tablespoon butter. Melt the butter, and then add the pear slices, cut-side down, cooking until they are slightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle ½ tsp brown sugar over pears, turn over and sprinkle another ½ tsp. (NB. No sugar needed for canned pears.) Continue cooking until caramelized. Reduce the heat to low and add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir through until pears are nicely glazed and remove from pan. Now, add your nuts and cranberries (Secret Ingredient) and let it absorb the remaining liquids in the pan. Stir through with a wooden spoon, switch off the pan and let mixture cool off. Sprinkle over the salad.